Saturday, October 29, 2016

The one-year-olds I’ve known were able to join the hunt so-to-speak, walking half a mile unassisted after a few months of practice.Staying Wild:Your first steps to (parental) independence: patience, stamina, and orienteering
As your first kid grows, well-meaning parents may try to convince you of the utility of a stroller. “They’ll outgrow the wrap,” (wrap: attachment parenting for that strip of cloth you’ve been tying the kid to your chest with.). “Once they’re out of the wrap, they won’t be able to keep pace with you on foot,” they’ll say. “You’ll appreciate the mobility,” they’ll insist. Do Not Cave. Tap back into your hunting mindset, and tap in hard. Patience is the key to nirvana here. Of course a one-year-old won’t be able to keep pace with you, but remember, slow and steady gets the job done. As you obstinately insist on letting nature take its course, your infant-cum-toddler will get faster and build endurance. The one-year-olds I’ve known were able to join the hunt so-to-speak, walking half a mile unassisted, after only a few months of practice.

As your kid develops in his or her own way, flourishing in the complete independence you’ve afforded them, a number of things will happen. You’ll introduce them to navigation by landmarks, just as you’d introduce fellow hunters to a new stretch of mountains they’d never hunted before. You’ll develop directional communications to get from place to place, and finally, the best part. Remember that small pack of baby accoutrements you’ve carried? It’ll be yours no more. At the age of 2, the kid can assume the pack responsibilities, and you, my fellow outdoors-person, you’re free!